While You Were Sleeping
by Sublime Angel
Summary: A little oneshot about getting some much needed sleep. Especially when you’re constantly on your toes, saving the world from god knows what everyday! And dreams can help you to relax too. Besides who wouldn't want to know what a shingami dreams about?


_**Note:**_ I'm blaming **YUI** for this one. I listened to her songs _'I Remember You'_ and _'Tomorrow's Way'_ all day and then this hit me. What can I say? I'm obsessed with Japanese music as everyone in my life is well aware of and I can't get enough of it! So sue me if it inspires me to write beautiful little things like this. And I could picture the whole damn thing in my head too! How sad that none of it is real (sigh) but it's still beautiful!

Some fluff and just plain old sweet IchiRukiness cuz I just can't get enough of that either!

Just a little oneshot about Rukia getting some much needed sleep. 'Cuz who of us doesn't relish taking a good long breather from time to time? Especially when you're constantly on your toes, saving the world from god knows what everyday! And dreams can help us with that, they help us relax. Besides, who wouldn't want to know just what it is exactly that a shinigami dreams about? After all, everyone has dreams. You don't have to be human to know that...

* * *

**While You Were Sleeping**

She was tired. Really tired. Not tired like school tired but tired like on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion tired.

It was everything and nothing causing this heavy feeling to overtake her all of a sudden.

And she gave in to it. She let the fatigue take control of her body and she simply melted into the soft, warm sheets.

Her clothes had long been discarded on the floor somewhere as soon as she got in. The warmth of the sheets meant that they had only just been washed not too long ago. Probably Yuzu as usual.

Such a sweet little girl, ever the doting little mother; a true caregiver if ever Rukia saw one.

The mound on the bed sighed deeply and relaxed her body completely, almost disappearing into the sheets on contact. The pillow seemed to mould itself to the shape of her face, sinking perfectly to complement her. The contours of her frame were quickly enveloped by the soft firmness of the mattress, surrounding her with nothing but yards of comfort.

The girl felt her body slowly being reduced to a puddle of bones and flesh, as the tension in her muscles began to melt away.

She lay on her stomach, face down on her pillow, the downy texture of the blankets lightly kissing her bare skin. It was a feeling of sheer placidity. If she got any more relaxed she would probably dissolve into nothing, she felt every corner of her body slipping into release.

It was peaceful quiet that lingered over her and she was grateful for it. Her eyes were shut, too heavy with sleep to be opened. Her breathing was slow and even, adding to the blissfully soothing calm that she was presently experiencing as she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

But dreamless sleep was a privilege only the dead were allowed. And for the time being, Rukia was part of the living world. But while she slept, it was as good as being dead, because nothing would be able to rouse her from this particular slumber.

She dreamt.

Of a river.

A long clear river.

And a little woven yellow boat; made of straw thatch and waterproof reeds.

She was in lying flat on her back, asleep in the open-air boat. The gently swaying motion of the water underneath rocked her with a steady rhythm, keeping her asleep. There was nothing but expanses of lush green fields dotted with hundreds of beautiful multi-coloured flowers stretching as far as the eye could see for miles. And butterflies everywhere.

She was asleep yes, but she knew this place. She knew it like the back of her hand. She knew it like she knew her soul. This was her home, where she wanted to be. There was nowhere else to go but here. This was her resting place.

And then something nudged her. It was so light a touch that she almost didn't feel it.

Something feathered across her face and tickled its way down the side of her neck to her collarbone. She moaned slightly and feebly swatted said 'thing' away from her.

Good. It was gone.

The boat continued floating along the river, a cool breeze flitting over her skin and passing along on its merry way. Somewhere a bird chirped, and then a whistle, and then a very beautiful little song burbled forth from its tiny throat. The music warbled across the air and reached out to touch her. She shifted sideways and curled closer into herself.

The warmth was so inviting and decadent.

She hadn't felt this carefree in a while.

Then something else called to her. So softly that it was almost inaudible. And again it called, coming closer to her. But it didn't disturb her. It was a soothing sound to her weary ears, tender and gentle, and it seemed to be calling her name.

And then she wasn't in the boat anymore.

She heard her name again and opened her eyes slowly. They were shaded from the glow of the evening sunlight. Her fingers curled inwards. She felt something soft and warm beneath her fingertips. And it wasn't the grass, because that was under her toes and it was cool and smooth.

This was something else altogether.

Rukia turned a little so that she could adjust herself more comfortably and laid eyes on what she had been resting on when she woke up. A barely audible gasp hitched in her throat. The tender amber eyes of Kurosaki Ichigo were right before her face, except they were closed and he was breathing rather evenly, indicating that he too was asleep.

She didn't know if she had subconsciously summoned him here in her sleep or if he was there all on his own or if this was real or fake or a dream or whatever. The lines had blurred as she formed that last sentence.

But there he was, right next to her, or under her to be exact. She found herself lying snuggled in his arms with her head resting in the crook of his neck.

This was strange. She didn't recall sensing his presence before at any point in time. So how was it that he was here, now, sleeping next to her? And yet, for all the questions that she had, she chose to remain silent and stare at her sleeping friend instead. This was the first time that they were together in complete silence, minus any bickering and fighting, and of course the usual punch to the back of his head from time to time.

And surprisingly enough, waking up to find herself in the arms of the fast asleep Ryoka wasn't as disturbing as she thought it would have been had this happened before. She felt rather calm, peaceful in fact, as she listened to the rhythm of his heart beating and felt the rise and fall of his breathing. It was like she was in the boat again.

The silent girl took the opportunity to examine the slumbering boy's rather relaxed features. It was indeed a rare privilege because he was usually towering two heads over her and always walking ten steps ahead with his long legs, ones that were yards longer than her own. And he always had a permanent scowl on his face.

Come to think of it, she could not once recall a time when she had seen him smile, truly genuinely smile. He was always serious, or worried, or scowling, or frowning. At her and at everyone else. Other than those select few expressions, the only other thing he knew how to do exceptionally well was smirk. Smirk like the world was his and they could do nothing about it because he was lord and ruler of everything as tall as he was, of everything up on his 'level'.

And it was a pity too. As she stared now, she could see it.

She could see what it was all the girls that went to their school saw in him. She saw why they used the words 'cute' and 'handsome' and 'gorgeous' and a few others (that she had enough decency not to repeat) to describe him. He was beautiful boy...

And as quickly as the thought left her she couldn't believe that she had just though that...about him...because Kuchiki Rukia did not think about anyone like that...ever...no one...at all!

But Kami help her, he was every bit as beautiful as she knew he was.

And she wondered if he knew that too.

Maybe, but it didn't matter, because coming from her it would mean nothing to him and they'd probably end up fighting about it. And then she'd just punch him in the nose or kick him in the head and it would be all over.

She traced the shape of his face, the contours of his jaw and chin. The curve of his cheeks, the line of his nose, the dips of the hollows under his eyes, the length of his brow bone.

Whisper light fingertips brushed faintly against his eyelashes in passing and the moved upwards to the stray locks of long spiky orange hair that fell into his face as his slept. She'd never felt it this soft before. It always looked hard and stiff, like it was stuck in place with an adhesive or something. And it felt the same way too whenever she pummelled him to a contorted pulp on the floor.

She allowed her fingers to weave themselves through the soft waves, tenderly stroking the soft head under her hand unconsciously. He made a small noise. It sounded like a somewhat muffled groan.

She froze.

He made the noise again.

She resumed her ministrations and he mmm'ed contentedly.

She stifled a giggle as a look of absolute bliss spread across his features. His brow seemed to relax a little more and it was smoother now. He even scowl-frowned in his sleep. Who knew?

He grunted rather adorably and shifted her closer to his body, tightening his embrace of her. His face was partially buried in her hair. She swore she felt him breath in and then sigh contentedly.

Of course she could have been wrong. He probably thought it was his pillow or zanpakutō he was holding, the thought of which made her small body quake with laughter.

And then he murmured her name.

And rather breathlessly too, into her hair, his lips burning against the skin of her forehead.

She bit her lip to suppress an involuntary moan that rose up from inside of her.

And he said it again.

There was no mistaking it. And all she could do was stare up at the beautiful sleeping boy holding her and wish that this was real. And even then she didn't wish it was real because she knew that something like this was not only impossible, but also highly improbable, and unlikely, and wrong, and obviously so forbidden...

...then he mmm'ed again and his fingers curled into her sides, lightly stroking her ribs and she suddenly couldn't breathe anymore.

His lips were moving against her ear again.

_Go back to sleep_, they seemed to say to her. And she did just that.

For as long as she slept she would have him here that long with her, where no one could break them apart. Where she could have her dreams and live with the knowledge that they were just dreams...

Where nothing could be wrong...

* * *

Yuzu opened the door to ask Ichi-nii what he wanted for dinner but she immediately halted in her steps and stood in silence with her hands clasped together.

Her big brother lay fast asleep on his bed, with Rukia curled up against him. His arms were wrapped around her, cradling her to him. Both were breathing in synch with peaceful expressions on their faces.

The threat of tears shone in her eyes but they didn't fall. The little girl's heart fluttered in happiness.

"_Sweet dreams Ichi-nii..."_ she whispered retracing her steps and closing the door behind her.

She would make his favourite meal. And he didn't need to know why she was making it. No, some things were better left alone and in peace. Like they were in there. Yuzu felt a feeling fill her insides with a rather comforting warmth. She hoped that maybe now her brother would learn to be happy again. And maybe that silly scowl would disappear from his face forever too!

* * *

The door had been shut ever so quietly but it was apparently enough to rouse him slightly (how ironic!) and a pair of sleep hazed amber eyes slit open lazily. They flitted over the figure in front of them and down to the end of the bed and then back up again. Then they shot wide open and blinked profusely. And again, and again, and again.

Rukia lay fast asleep in his arms. He didn't know how, or what to do but he most certainly didn't want to wake her sleeping form. She did have the tendency to be quite violent when she was awake.

Or just maybe when she was with him, which would be all the time in that case.

She was a rather soft, slender girl. He didn't know she could feel so soft. She always looked kind of hard and mean during the day and even when they fought too. She just never struck him as the soft, quiet type.

Yet there they were, and that's exactly what she was at this point. Not to mention the fact that she looked absolutely beautiful while she slept. Her hair was looser and fell freely about her long graceful neck and slender shoulders, and by extension his shoulder since she was asleep on him after all!

He moved one hand ever so slightly that it came up around her and brushed some of the strands out of her very peaceful looking face. He couldn't recall ever seeing her look so calm before. Not even when she'd fall asleep on the floor sometimes or in History class. This was different.

She looked different. Almost, content. Her pale pink lips were parted slightly due to her breathing and he could feel the warm puffs of air as they hit the apparently very sensitive skin on his neck, where she was currently residing. And as his fingers brushed her skin he swore the corners of her mouth curled upwards ever so slightly.

She was smiling in her sleep!

And the close proximity allowed for him to be one hundred percent sure that it was in face a smile. Kuchiki was smiling in her sleep, in his arms, after he'd just touched her. Or maybe she was just smiling like she probably always did in her sleep...

And then she murmured his name, pulling closer and curling a leg between his.

And he knew at that moment that it was because of him.

But he also wasn't stupid. He was obviously dreaming because if this was real then she was really fast asleep and didn't have a clue as to what she was doing in her sleep.

But Kami help him if he wasn't turning into a soft plushy puddle of melting goop because of her. This crazy, punch-dealing, kick-obsessed, annoying but beautiful midget who was currently using him as a mattress.

It was probably better if he just went back to sleep. His eyes closed again and he shifted slightly to get comfortable again. The girl in his arms moved with him, moaned softly and cuddled deeper into him, calling his name again and sounding quite...happy?!

Her fingers gripped tightly onto the front of his t-shirt and she nestled her head into a more comfortable spot against his clothed chest. Ichigo let out a breath and wrapped his arms around her even tighter.

Dreams and reality be damned!

He lost the ability to tell the difference between the two a long time ago anyway. The minute he'd been able to see spirits to be exact. And he didn't care what was real or not. Whether this was some terrible hallucination or if life was just toying cruelly with him.

Ichigo Kurosaki stopped giving a damn a long time ago! All he knew now was that at this moment in time, the most intriguing woman he'd ever met in his life was here with him, fast asleep in his arms. She was warm and safe there and he didn't intend on letting her go anytime soon.

Although, when they woke up, things would be different and probably not so peaceful anymore.

But for now, he was good with just going back to sleep. After all he was pretty tired, and the longer he could sleep was the longer he could stay with her like this.

And that was all he wanted at the moment.

The alarm clock suddenly found itself outside on the Kurosaki lawn smashed into a thousand pieces. There would be no more waking up for today...

He had pretty good aim for a guy that was still very much under the influence of sleep. Then again you never knew what could happen while you were sleeping.

The world was always better then.

_Oh that I could be lost forever_

_in this world where nothing is real_

_but what I wish to be._

_Where nothing exists_

_but peace_

_and I can float away_

_to stay forever in this place.

* * *

_

Hope you all enjoyed. I finished this at 12:44 a.m. and I'm posting it right now (12:50 a.m.). See what sleep deprivation does to you? It's great...(yawns)...okay I'm off to bed now, goodnight everyone! (rubs eyes sleepily)...oh yeah...please review! Sweet dreams all!


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